DASP Young Musician Festival 2019-20

Photo from DASP Young Musician Festival 2018-19

Click here to apply to take part in this year's festival....

How the Festival works
There are five categories:
  1. Piano/Tuned Percussion
  2. Woodwind
  3. Brass
  4. Strings
  5. Voice
 
There are two levels of entry:

Intermediate = for approx. grades 3 – 5
Advanced = for approx. grades 6+

​Adjudicators
Howard Evans 
Howard is a Mus.B (Hons) graduate from the University of Manchester. He also holds LRAM, LTCL and ARCM (Hons) diplomas in piano teaching and performing, as well as horn teaching. Howard has a well-established musical career as a pianist and teacher, as well as a conductor. He has performed extensively at many major concert venues throughout the United Kingdom, including The Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Bridgewater Hall and at the Royal Albert Hall. During the last few years he has also been in demand as a guest conductor for a number of high level brass bands at significant events.   Compositionally, he has written for brass band, wind band and choral groups, and has a number of published works. In addition, he undertakes work as an examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and maintains a piano teaching practice.
Philippa Topham
Philippa studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, including masterclasses with Perlemuter, Vasary and Glock.  She has performed as a soloist, concerto soloist, chamber musician and accompanist throughout Europe and the Middle East, promoted by Yehudi Menuhin’s ‘Live Music Now’. 
Philippa was Director of Music in schools in Dubai and England. Philippa has examined for ABRSM for 14 years - classical and jazz, both UK and international.  As a member of the Professional Development Panel she mentored on the Teaching Music Effectively and CT ABRSM Plus courses in London and Singapore. 
Philippa has recently moved to Dorset where she has a private piano, flute and singing practice alongside freelance work, including presenting seminars for teachers, singing sessions in care homes, and mentoring teachers for Diplomas.
Classes
Classes will run during the day, from 10am – 4.30pm, for each of the individual categories (the two levels of performance will play in the same classes).  Exact timings will be released once we know how many applicants there are.
 
Evening Concert
The main emphasis of the festival will be on all participants taking part and gaining valuable feedback from our adjudicators
However, in the evening, some students will be invited back as finalists to perform at the evening concert at 7.30pm at The Thomas Hardye School Theatre.  At the end of these performances an overall winner for each level of entry will be announced.
The overall winner of the Advanced Level classes will be named ‘DASP Young Musician of the Year’.

Rules:
  1. Applicants must be 19 years or younger on 31st August 2020.
  2. Applicants must live within a 25 mile radius of Dorchester or attend a DASP school.
  3. Past winners of the main advanced prize are not eligible to enter the competition again on the same instrument.
  4. The minimum requirement is grade 3 level or equivalent.  Entry level is approximate and relates to the level of pieces that will be performed.  Exams do not have to have been taken in order to enter.
  5. From the daytime classes, finalists are chosen to go forward to the final concert in the evening.  Applicants will be notified by phone if they are to play in the concert shortly after the end of their class.
  6. There will be prizes given to each category winner at each level, an overall Intermediate and Advanced Young Musician prize and several highly commended prizes.
  7. A maximum of two pieces may be played.
  8. Each performer’s programme should not exceed 5 minutes for Intermediate level and 8 minutes for Advanced level.
  9. Applicants must provide a copy of the score for the adjudicators to use during the competition (photocopies are acceptable for this purpose).
  10. Applicants may provide their own accompanist, or an accompanist may be provided for a small additional fee of £3.If using the provided accompanist, a copy of the piano music should be forwarded to DASP Music (clearly labelled) by Friday 14th December.
  11. Backing tracks are acceptable as an alternative accompaniment.  Please inform us in advance if a backing track is to be used.
  12. The entry fee is £5.Fees can be paid by BACS (Sort code:  600701, Acc:  39102998) or by cheque (payable to DASP Music).
  13. Places in the festival are limited and will be awarded on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.

DASP Music Young Musician Festival previous winners:

2017-18
Intermediate: James Osborne-Jackson
Advanced:  Lydia Bennett

2018-19
Intermediate: Mia Wright
Advanced:  Sam Lawson